Let the games begin

The Canadiens open their regular season at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto Thursday night.
The lineup will be bolstered by the 11th-hour addition of penalty-kill specialist Blair Betts, picked up on waivers from Philadelphia.

The difference between the Habs and the Leafs? Look at two additions this week. Both seemingly insignificant. Leafs acquire a 4th line Center Steckel for a 4th round pcik. Habs acquire 4th line center Blair Betts…off waivers. Can anyone argue that Steckel is better than Betts? Betts better than Steckel? 6 of one half dozen of the other. But the Habs keep their pick. Brian Burke is smart but impatient. In the end it will have cost him. Go Habs!

I think the moderator has been suspended, I used the word , retarded ‘ once to describe something and my post was deleted, then a few days ago I saw a post with that same word not get deleted so, yeah, he must be MIA. Now let’s play some hockey!!!!!!!

That’s good that blowhard Burkie is so focused on the Habs. Really shows that the priorities are in order and partially explains why he spends so much energy bolstering the Bruins. The funny thing is that I’d wager a case of delicious Molson M that Pierre Gauthier probably does not spend very much time at all pondering the fate of the Maple Leafs and letting it affect his judgment.

I can’t believe my somewhat crappy luck……Habs/Leafs season opener and I have to travel 1 hour to cochrane for an 8 p.m. Midget League game to watch my son….just kidding ! Would watch my son play anyday regardless of the game. Here is hoping for another great year by the Habs! A lot of talk of the team not making the playoffs by the so-called experts…..lol….this team looks great on paper and with markov returning soon it will be even better. Go Price Go ! Betts will help this team and was a cheap pick up. All the way for 25 !!

Is it just me or is hickey way off in his article about the power play?
I agree that the Wiz was a huge part of our PP last year, but it seemed to me that after the first couple of weeks he was very rarely shooting. He was primarily feeding Subban and Cammaleri, and doing it well. If Markov can’t fill that hole nobody can. But even before he gets back Diaz looks like he might do very well in that spot. He has good vision, great small space quckness, enough of a shot to keep goalies/defenders honest and good anticipation.

More signs the Canadiens could be in trouble … and signs they’ll do just fine.

Not good – signs a 25th Cup is still a ways off …
Players wear paper bags over their heads. AK neglects to cut eye holes
Official statistician orders stoppage of play to get up to speed on JM’s line combinations
Players on the bench rest their elbows on the boards – facing the crowd looking for “hot chicks”
Moen, Gill on the point for power-plays fails to achieve expected success
Team unveils a fifth line.
Gauthier calls in scouts after third game to go over next year’s draft.
Martin gets hit in the head with a puck three times during practice and begins wearing garish sports coats, outlandish ties and loud shirts with high collars to games.
RDS replaces Hab broadcasts with recreational league bowling
Plekanec is suspended three games for giving Bruin player “dirty look”
Habs sign Avery

Not to worry – signs the team should begin planning the parade …
Players wear paper bags with smiley faces, showing team morale remains high.
Price perfects looping pass that sends forwards on breakaways
Markov returns to action and knocks out an opponent for the season with punishing hits in three consecutive games
Martin, who’s been working his way through The System handbook for 12 years, finally reaches Chapter 42, page 793, ‘Offence’.
Gill overtakes Ovechkin on a breakaway, fueling talk THIS COULD BE YEAR!
Gauthier calls in scouts after third game to go over No. 30 selection in next year’s draft
HIO sets record: 968 posts in an hour – and there’s not one contrary opinion
Gomez crosses the blueline and veers to the right
Turns out Betts is half-brother of NHL commissioner

We are going to have a season of ups and downs as in previous years.
Are we better than last season? Only time will tell.
As in previous years, we will see what our team is made up of after 20 games.
And please let’s not post “what if” came back from injury we would fare better.
Hockey is a team sport and not an individual sport.
But for me, I say we finish……….7th in the East.
Good luck to our Habs this year, they are going to need it.

“True to form, then Kostitsyn experienced ups and downs, but he found a way to end the season with 20 goals. Its performance, however, did not achieve an agreement over a year.
Question: if farts on fire this season, do you give him a long-term agreement in the future?”

I liked the Betts pick up. I liked that guy since he was with the Rangers. I really didn’t feel Enqvist or the 4th line really helped the team. Betts is a nice role player. One of the best PKers in the league and a big guy who can muck it up.

Burke made an even better move for his team picking up the best face off man in the league, in Steckal. He’s also a monster in size and should help a Leafs team who, like the Habs, are not physical enough.

Should be a good game tonight. If Montreal can shut down the Leafs first line, they should be alright.

Great idea. I’d like to see the pink helmet, let alone the new design he’s rumoured to be wearing this season. The fact the pink he’ll be wearing are only as accents is a nice touch, and not too much of a distraction compared to Dipietro’s pink flash.

“Only a goalie can appreciate what a goalie goes through.” – Jacques Plante

@Solomio, while I agree with you and saw that post last night I have one thought. I saw he made a post and you immediately asked him if he was trolling. I find that the constant accusations by people (not you specifically) where they call someone a troll right off the bat isn’t exactly a warm fuzzy greeting. In my limited IntraWeb knowledge calling someone a troll seems to be one of the bigger insults a person can hurl at somone. It doesn’t validate being called a piece or *$%!, but it does seem to start an exchange of unpleasantries.

A good rule of thumb is that it’s OK to criticize the opinion, but not the person. And this is a forum for discussion, not conversion: people who don’t share your opinion aren’t fools, or delusional, or “retarded”, or need to give their heads a shake– nor does their disagreement or criticism of the team make them fans of other teams.

Lets get this right ok? He called AK a slug. I asked..What….are you trolling ? The I got nailed with…..you little insignificant piece of excrement
Chorske you deem that reply to be acceptable.?
If you’re not part of the solution you’tr part of the problem.

“I figure PG has one or 2 moves left to bring the Habs that extra step closer to perhaps being the best in the league.” – Einstein

HIB…You really think this comment warranted that rebuttal?
October 5, 2011 7:47 pm at 7:47 pm AK a slug? What..you trolling?
Cole & DD don’t replace him they would only be covering his output and then some. With AK it’s his +20 PLUS what Cole & DD add.

If you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem.

“I figure PG has one or 2 moves left to bring the Habs that extra step closer to perhaps being the best in the league.” – Einstein